My Dinner with Andre

Release date: 8 October 1981 (New York Film Festival)

The great Louie Malle directed this 2 hour conversation of two New York artists eating dinner. Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, two real life New York playwrights play versions of themselves. When the wildly successful Andre returns from years in the wilderness finding himself in all sorts of experimental art projects overseas, he invites his struggling-to-make-ends-meat friend, Wallace to dinner. The result is a philosophical journey on the meaning of life as Andre shares his story of living in the moment with his more conservative and cynical friend. My Dinner with Andre takes the commonplace activity of a dinner with a friend to new heights with a dialogue which is, if nothing else, engaging. The film is an art house piece through and through and while decidedly not for everyone, this reviewer - long a fan of Joseph Campbell and existentialism philosophy - was riveted to his core.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Fool's Gold

Release date: 7 February 2008 (Australia)

Surprisingly, I preferred this silly film to Matthew McConaughey's previous film of the same genre, Sahara. Interestingly, it suffers from the same problem inherent in that film too - a frustrating lack of identity, a film unsure of what it's trying to be: comedy, adventure, historical thriller, romance. McConaughey stars as Benjamin Finnegan (Finn), a dumbass treasure seeker in hawk to a corrupt Caribbean rapper, Bigg Bunny (Kevin Hart) on the hunt for the secret treasure known as the Queen's Dowry with his very smart ex-wife Tess (the always good Kate Hudson). Toss in Canada's own Donald Sutherland as a rich publisher, Nigel Honeycutt, trying to bemuse his Valley-girl-esque daughter Gemma (Alexis Dziena) and you've quite a mess of a story. Director Andy Tennant manages to keep the pace going despite the silly script mind you. While the personae McConaughery has adopted of late is thoroughly aggravating, there's enough lighthearted dumbness here to warrant a view on a cold winter's night.

My rating 5 out of 10.

Catwoman

Release date: 19 July 2004 (Los Angeles, USA)

This film is a testament to the dire need of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to have the ability to revoke an Academy Award. Case in point, Halle Berry (who 'stars' as Catwoman) and who once again proves she cannot act. She's just dreadful in this dreadful movie directed by Pitof. Catwoman is one of those stupid, dumb films that is so bad it's actually fun to watch. It's helped by great production value and cartoony CGI. Sharon Stone (as the evil Laurel Hedare) steals every frame she's in and looks fabulous and the supporting cast of Benjamin Bratt (as detective Tom Lone), an over-the-top Lambert Wilson (as the misogynous George Hedare) and Six Feet Under's Frances Conroy (as Ophelia) help temper Berry's disgraceful excuse for acting.

This is certainly no perrrrrrfect Catwoman but gets my rating of a 3 out of 10.

Walk the Line

Release date: 4 September 2005 (Telluride Film Festival)

James Mangold directs this excellent biography of country music singer, Johnny Cash, from his early years down south on a cotton farm in Arkansas to his famous concert at Fulsome Prison in 1968, which reinvented him. Joaquin Phoenix (pre-craziness) does an outstanding job as Cash while Reese Witherspoon stars as (and won an Oscar for playing) June Carter. During the two hours, we see a Johnny Cash I certainly didn't know existed: the second son of a resentful father, the two-timing husband who ignores his wife as he pursues - relentlessly - June Carter on and off the many stages they graced, and the young star who slides inevitably into the Rock Star illness of booze and drugs. While Walk the Line toes the predicable line of every biography in its delivery, it is saved thanks to the performances of Witherspoon, Phoenix and Ginnifer Goodwin (as Cash's first wife, Vivian). And damn, the music is might fine to boot.

My rating 8 out of 10.

Up

Release date: 13 May 2009 (Cannes Film Festival)

A perfectly uplifting film on every level with a thoroughly rich animation that is, in a word, stunning. Up, directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson, stars Ed Asner (as voice of Carl Fredricksen), the widowed crudmudgeon who sets out - his house in tow via a collection of balloons - to honour a promise he made to his wife, and Jordan Nagai (the voice of Russell), the honest Cub Scout whose out to help him in order to earn his 'help the elderly' badge. The strength of Up is firmly rooted in its perfect story; a story as good as you're likely to see on film in some years. The fable that is released is tragic and heart-stoppingly romantic, fun and action filmed. Up sets a new America standard for animation that rivals the intricacies woven by Hayao Miyazaki and should not be missed.

My rating 10 out 10.

Sahara

Release date: 4 April 2005 (Hollywood, USA)

Based on the 1992 novel by Clive Cussler of the same name, Sahara is a movie trying to be too many things: historical treasure hunt; comedy; romance; environmental thriller. The result is a complete hash-up where everyone seems lost as to what acting role they are supposed to take: one minute Arnold Schwarzenegger; the next Meryl Streep in Out of Africa. Blame director Breck Einser and shame on Penelope Cruz (as a sort of Lara Croft-lite) and Matthew McConaughey (as a sort of Indiana Jones-lite) for not putting things right. Only William H. Macy (as the Admiral) and Lambert Wilson (as bad guy Yves Massarde) seem to have come prepared fully understanding their role. More the shame as there is great potential in the story with its undertone of American involvement in the Sahara (and civil wars) and our panache as citizens to turn a blind eye to environmental disaster in the name of financial profit that ring very true. While the action scenes are full-on fun, best to skip this whirlwind of a mess in a Saharan teapot and read the book.

My rating 4 out of 10.

Avatar

Release date: 10 December 2009 (London, UK)

Canadian director James Cameron returns after a 10 year hiatus and delivers us a film that represents the next leap forward in movie-making. Avatar is leaps and bounds better than Titanic (but that is not saying much, I know). The story of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) heading off to Pandora to be morphed into a Na'vi, a humanoid race that lives by the Gaia principle is simplistic, at best. Worse is Cameron's hit-us-over-the-head references to our disastrous stewardship of Earth and the American panache to think their way is should be everyone's way, That aside, Avatar is a landmark film for its technological achievements. Unlike other 3-D films which place you on the brink of an environment only to startle you with something coming from inside the screen, Avatar is the first that draws you wholly within the environment so that the Pandoran world surrounds you.

It is a 3-D marvel and the future of film, and television and computers and for that warrants my rating 8 out of 10.

Up in the Air

Release date: 5 September 2009 (Telluride Film Festival)

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) fires people for a living, flying across the continent doing other people's nasty work. The work has left him deeply shallow, oblivious to relationships and consumed with landing American Airlines' most elite flier status. When his company decides to pilot a new method to fire people online, Ryan is saddled with an up-and-coming brainiac, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick), to show her the ropes of firing people live and in person. Along the way, Ryan falls for another corporate monster like himself, Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga). Directed by Jason Reitman, Up in the Air is easily one of the best movies this year. The writing is outstanding and there are more perfect lines, perfectly delivered here than in any movie in some time. More deeply, the movie shows us three people caught in their respective corporate tracks and, for Ryan - so brilliantly realized by Clooney - how sometimes you have to be hurt to fully understand the richness that is life, and that none of us can exist solely up in the air.

My rating 9 out of 10.

Seven Pounds

Release date: 19 December 2008 (USA)

There was great buzz around this film's twist ending when it premiered. Directed by Gabriele Muccino, it stars Will Smith as Ben Thomas, a supposed IRS agent out to do good for the citizens under his care. What's at play here however is the story of a man on a mission, a man keen to choose the people he will gift his organs to; a man dealing with the guilt of an automobile accident he caused that took the life of his girlfriend (Robinne Lee) and six others. Seven Pounds is a film about the lengths a man will take to seek salvation. The acting is solid and both Smith and Rosario Dawson (playing Emily Posa) do a fine, fine job. While the film could do with a further edit (it is too long), and while you do see the twist long before the end, Seven Pounds is an interesting 'what-if' exploration of a suicide-with-a-twist.

My rating 7 out of 10.

Friends with Money

Release date: 19 January 2006 (Sundance Film Festival)

Friends with Money focuses on the self-absorbed world that is Los Angeles, and, its fine ensemble cast aside, is a silly and hollow tromp with about as much deep meaning as an episode of The Love Boat. But that's the point. We meet four friends, Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) whose broke, single and working as a maid; Franny (Joan Cusack) whose happily married and rich; Christine (Catherine Keener) whose unhappily married and oblivious to the animosity her home renovation is causing; and Jane (Frances McDormand) whose married and nasty angry all the time. While the story revolves around the rich threesome's desire to help Olivia out, the character that keeps this film interesting is Jane's husband, Aaron (Simon McBurney). If these are the people we become when we have money, please let me remain poor forevermore.

Directed by Nicole Holofcener, Friends with Money has some funny moments, and the fact you could care less about anyone in this film aside, still garners my rating of 7 out of 10.

Transporter 2

Release date: 3 August 2005 (France)

Jason Statham returns to his role as Frank Martin, the uber-cool former special agent who will transport anything ... for a price. In this outing, Frank is ferrying Jack (Hunter Clary), the son of a US Drug Enforcement czar (played by an overwrought Matthew Modine), around Miami until he is kidnapped by drug dealing bad guys Gianni Chellni (Alessandro Gassman) and his very chic and sick girlfriend Lola (Kate Nauta). The plot is a rabbit warren of silliness that hardly matters one iota as the film is about Frank doing that thing he does so well, making mayhem in the cause of good. If you can suspend reality and enjoy this film purely on its action merits you'll have a fantastic ride.

My rating 6 out of 10.

Iraq in Fragments

Release date: 21 January 2006 (Sundance Film Festival)

This sober documentary directed by James Longley gives us three short glimpses into the lives of ordinary Iraqis impacted by the aftermath of the American occupation of their country. Filmed video verité style with no script, it lets its group of Sunni and Shites and Kurds tell their story. What results is a profound sadness for what has been lost to this nation, a ringing hope that the youngsters' wishes - so purely expressed in the documentary - may one day come true, and that Iraq remains a terribly complicated nation with wounds so deeply incised into living memory that recovery will take generations.

My rating 7 out of 10.

About A Boy

Release date: 18 May 2002 (USA)

Directed by the Weitz brothers, About a Boy stars Hugh Grant as Will, a gadfly layabout with money who has little concern for relationships, people or the norms of society. Constantly on the prowl for his next lass, he lies his way into a single with children support group and ends up with more than he can handle when he meets Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), the son a very depressed and suicidal mother, Fiona (Toni Collette). Marcus is a thoroughly odd lad built in the typical British eccentric fashion. His plan to find a spare adult to protect him should his mother manage to off herself begins to bear fruit as Will is increasingly drawn into his and his mother's world. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, About a Boy works exceptionally well thanks to Grant's spot-on performance and the great connection he and Hoult foster on screen.

While mushy and sentimental on several levels, the movie is still endearing, fun and funny and gets my rating 7 out of 10.